industry
Ukraine Strengthens Defence Industry with Norway
Ukraine and Norway have deepened their defence cooperation through agreements to enhance Ukrainian ammunition production and quality assurance of defence materiel, aiming to make Ukraine self-sufficient and ensure quality in joint projects.
In connection with the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) meeting in Bodø (northern Norway), Ukraine and Norway have deepened their defence cooperation through two new agreements. One involves building up Ukrainian ammunition production together with the Norwegian company Nammo. The other is a government agreement on quality assurance of defence materiel.
Ukraine's Defence Minister Denys Shmyhal participated in the signing alongside his Norwegian counterpart Tore O. Sandvik.
The Norwegian defence company Nammo and a Ukrainian partner have signed a Letter of Intent to establish a joint venture in Ukraine to produce, develop, and sell ammunition. The background is a previous collaboration where Nammo, with Norwegian funding, transferred technology and knowledge regarding artillery ammunition produced under license in Ukraine.
– Nammo and Norway's cooperation with Ukraine has been very successful. We are proud to now take the next step, says Nammo's CEO Morten Brandtzæg.
The new agreement expands the cooperation to include more types of ammunition and also covers essential inputs such as fuels and chemicals. The goal is for Ukraine to become self-sufficient in the entire ammunition supply chain.
– That Ukraine can manufacture its own defence materiel is crucial for its resilience, comments Defence Minister Tore O. Sandvik.
At the same time, the countries have signed a memorandum on mutual quality assurance of defence materiel (Government Quality Assurance, GQA). The agreement is based on NATO standards and means that the countries will be able to conduct quality checks of defence materiel produced or delivered within the framework of bilateral agreements.
For example, Norwegian inspectors can check materiel manufactured in Norway for Ukraine, while Ukrainian inspectors can do the same for Ukrainian exports to Norway.
– This is an important step in our deepened cooperation with Ukraine. The agreement creates security in joint projects and ensures that we can rely on the quality of the materiel delivered, says Sandvik.
On the Norwegian side, the Norwegian Defence Materiel Agency (Forsvarsmateriell, FMA) is the responsible authority. On the Ukrainian side, the Ministry of Defence has a corresponding role.